American Hunting Rifles is not a new book, it was published in 1995, however it is a very relevant book filled with an overabundance of useful information. I think anyone contemplating a new rifle, experienced or inexperienced enthusiast, would benefit greatly from being familiar with this book’s contents.
The book covers rifle action types, bore sizes, cartridges, shooting circumstances, and game animals – but this isn’t one of those books that if filled with manufacturers specifications and picture, each piece of information is written in the form of an interesting short, factual story. I believe the section on .257″ bore cartridges is a good example of the writer’s approach. There are eight pages dedicated to this specific bore and begins with the general history of .257″ rifles as the .25-20 and concludes with the .257 Weatherby Magnum. The passage details the .250 Savage, the .257 Roberts, the .25-06Remington, and finally the Weatherby; cartridges in this bore size seeing some level of popular use. Each section of each cartridge covers the history, the originator, the cartridges performance and a more experienced but subjective view of the cartridges performance on game animals. These sections exist for every cartridge from the .22 centerfires to the over .40 bore big guns, to the same level of detail, to the same level of complete information. This portion forms the core of the book.
The section on rifle action selection is done in the same approach, benefits and drawbacks, as well as suitability for various hunting situations. There are some very good explanations of accuracy expectations for action and cartridge combinations. The issues of rifle weight, material used for stocks, sighting systems and barrel length are all thoroughly dissected and provide enough foundation to help the reader make good selection.
There are lots of photographs for clear illustration, lots of drop in bits for accessories like sling and muzzle brake selection, and thankfully there is not an obvious thread of bias toward or against any combination. There is a section on handgun hunting, I’m not sure why. First I thought the section was handgun cartridges as used in rifle, or rifle cartridges as used in single shot handguns, but the information was related to handgun cartridges in handguns. There are some survey results near the end of the book that express the opinions of various categories of hunters that are probably reflective of real world sections, which appear to have nothing to do with any thing I ever buy. Still a great book, a reference work that can be used frequently
Thanks
Joe
| Book Info & Summary: | |||
 Retail Price: |
$28 | Author: |
Boddington |
| Publisher: |
Safari Press | Publish Date: |
Dec. 1995 2nd Ed |
| Format: |
Hardcover, 446 pp | Available: |
Amazon |
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